This invention relates to heat transfer printing and, more particularly, to an ink composition for use in heat transfer printing on numerous substrate materials.
In general, ink compositions and methods for heat transfer printing onto substrates are known. For example, processes for heat transfer printing are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,647,503; 3,649,332; 4,271,224; 4,253,838; 4,278,434; and 4,367,071, in which a sublimatable dye is used to transfer an image to a substrate, mainly by sublimation, but also possibly by melting and evaporation.
It has been known to employ ink compositions having basic dyes or their derivatives, a strong base and a binder and solvent. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,292 discloses an ink composition for heat transfer printing comprising at least one of carbinol bases of basic dyes or their derivatives, a strong base, a binder and a solvent for dissolving the binder.
The present invention provides an ink composition and a process for heat transfer printing which are not disclosed in, nor suggested by, the known prior art.